Nashville Man Facing Federal Firearms Charges After Child Suffers Gunshot Wound to the Head
3-Year-Old Remains Hospitalized
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 2, 2019 – Kedrick Ross, 27, of Nashville, Tennessee, was charged today with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A criminal complaint unsealed today alleges that Ross, a convicted felon, on separate occasions, was in possession of three stolen firearms and also possessed illegal drugs including marijuana, Xanax, methamphetamine, and MDMA as well as items associated with the packaging and sale of drugs.
Ross was arrested earlier today by ATF agents and Metro Nashville Police Youth Services Division detectives after appearing in Davidson County Criminal Court on other charges. He will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later this afternoon.
The charges are the result of an investigation that began on September 9, 2019, after Ross’s three-year-son suffered a gunshot wound to the head while at a relative’s house in Nashville. The investigation determined that Ross, his girlfriend and child had stayed at a relative’s house on the previous evening and they found their son with a gunshot wound to the head the following day, after being startled by the sound of a “bang.” After the child was transported to the hospital, detectives from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) interviewed the relative who told them that after the child was shot, Ross picked up the gun, placed it in a purse, and put in in her car parked in the driveway.
Further investigation revealed that at the time of this incident, Ross was under state indictment for other offenses, and out on bond, including a December 2018 incident in which he was arrested by MNPD officers on drug possession and distribution charges and possessing a stolen Glock .40 caliber handgun. Before being arrested, Ross was observed by MNPD officers conducting a drug transaction on Rosa Parks Boulevard. After two attempts to pull him over, officers stopped Ross’s vehicle but he refused to exit the car and made several reaching movements under the seat. Officers removed Ross from the car and recovered three quart jars containing marijuana, five plastic baggies of marijuana, electronic scales, and a bottle containing an assortment of pills, including Xanax and methamphetamine. A Glock .40 caliber handgun loaded with 14 rounds was recovered from between the driver seat and center console and 14 Xanax bars were found in Ross’ jacket pocket.
The firearm recovered from this incident had been reported stolen in September 2018 from a vehicle parked at a residence in Ashland City, Tennessee. This firearm has been linked to two subsequent shooting incidents, including a damaged property incident on Whites Creek Pike in Nashville on October 16, 2018, and an aggravated assault in Madison, Tennessee, in November 2018. These incidents remain under investigation.
While on bond for the charges listed above, on May 29, 2019, Ross was arrested by MNPD officers after fleeing from them in the area of 25th Avenue North, a part of the Cumberland View Apartments and commonly referred to as “Dodge City.” During this incident, officers with the Juvenile Crimes Task Force saw a vehicle, illegally parked in a handicap-designated space. As officers approached the vehicle, Ross exited the driver’s seat and fled on foot. After a foot pursuit, a TASER was deployed in order to subdue Ross. After being apprehended, two loaded Glock semi-automatic handguns were recovered from Ross’s vehicle, along with marijuana, MDMA, and several items associated with drug distribution. Each of these firearms had previously been reported stolen in separate incidents. One was forcibly taken from an individual as he walked along Charles E. Davis Boulevard in June 2018 and the other was stolen from a vehicle parked at a residence in Nashville in July 2018.
In addition to these charges, Ross had previously been convicted of felonies in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession of controlled substances with intent to sell.
If convicted, Ross faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Ross is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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